e　highest　pitch　of　human　Polity；　and　the　feat　of　all　feats　in　political　engineering：impossible　for　us；　in　this　poor　age；　as　the　building　of　St。　Paul's　would　be　for　Canadian　Beavers；　acquainted　only　with　the　architecture　of　fish…dams；　and　with　no　trowel　but　their　tail。
  Literature；　the　strange　entity　so　called；that　indeed　is　here。　　If　Literature　continue　to　be　the　haven　of　expatriated　spiritualisms；　and　have　its　Johnsons；　Goethes　and　_true_　Archbishops　of　the　World；　to　show　for　itself　as　heretofore；　there　may　be　hope　in　Literature。　　If　Literature　dwindle；　as　is　probable；　into　mere　merry…andrewism；　windy　twaddle；　and　feats　of　spiritual　legerdemain；　analogous　to　rope…dancing；　opera…dancing；　and　street…fiddling　with　a　hat　carried　round　for　halfpence；　or　for　guineas；　there　will　be　no　hope　in　Literature。　　What　if　our　next　set　of　Souls'…Overseers　were　to　be　_silent_　ones　very　mainly？Alas；　alas；　why　gaze　into　the　blessed　continents　and　delectable　mountains　of　a　Future　based　on　_truth_；　while　as　yet　we　struggle　far　down；　nigh　suffocated　in　a　slough　of　lies；　uncertain　whether　or　how　we　shall　be　able　to　climb　at　all！
  Who　will　begin　the　long　steep　journey　with　us；　who　of　living　statesmen　will　snatch　the　standard；　and　say；　like　a　hero　on　the　forlorn…hope　for　his　country；　Forward！　　Or　is　there　none；　no　one　that　can　and　dare？　　And　our　lot　too；　then；　is　Anarchy　by　barricade　or　ballot…box；　and　Social　Death？We　will　not　think　so。
  Whether　Sir　Robert　Peel　will　undertake　the　Reform　of　Downing　Street　for　us；　or　any　Ministry　or　Reform　farther；　is　not　known。　　He；　they　say；　is　getting　old；　does　himself　recoil　from　it；　and　shudder　at　it；　which　is　possible　enough。　　The　clubs　and　coteries　appear　to　have　settled　that　he　surely　will　not；　that　this　melancholy　wriggling　seesaw　of　red…tape　Trojans　and　Protectionist　Greeks　must　continue　its　course　tillwhat　_can_　happen；　my　friends；　if　this　go　on　continuing？
  And　yet；　perhaps；　England　has　by　no　means　so　settled　it。　　Quit　the　clubs　and　coteries；　you　do　not　hear　two　rational　men　speak　long　together　upon　politics；　without　pointing　their　inquiries　towards　this　man。　　A　Minister　that　will　attack　the　Augeas　Stable　of　Downing　Street；　and　begin　producing　a　real　Management；　no　longer　an　imaginary　one；　of　our　affairs；　_he_；　or　else　in　few　years　Chartist　Parliament　and　the　Deluge　come：　　that　seems　the　alternative。　　As　I　read　the　omens；　there　was　no　man　in　my　time　more　authentically　called　to　a　post　of　difficulty；　of　danger；　and　of　honor　than　this　man。　　The　enterprise　is　ready　for　him；　if　he　is　ready　for　it。　　He　has　but　to　lift　his　finger　in　this　enterprise；　and　whatsoever　is　wise　and　manful　in　England　will　rally　round　him。　　If　the　faculty　and　heart　for　it　be　in　him；　he；　strangely　and　almost　tragically　if　we　look　upon　his　history；　is　to　have　leave　to　try　it；　he　now；　at　the　eleventh　hour；　has　the　opportunity　for　such　a　feat　in　reform　as　has　not；　in　these　late　generations；　been　attempted　by　all　our　reformers　put　together。
  As　for　Protectionist　jargon；　who　in　these　earnest　days　would　occupy　many　moments　of　his　time　with　that？　　〃A　Costermonger　in　this　street；〃　says　Crabbe；　〃finding　lately　that　his　rope　of　onions；　which　he　hoped　would　have　brought　a　shilling；　was　to　go　for　only　sevenpence　henceforth；　burst　forth　into　lamentation；　execration　and　the　most　pathetic　tears。　　Throwing　up　the　window；　I　perceived　the　other　costermongers　preparing　impatiently　to　pack　this　one　out　of　their　company　as　a　disgrace　to　it；　if　he　would　not　hold　his　peace　and　take　the　market…rate　for　his　onions。　　I　looked　better　at　this　Costermonger。　　To　my　astonished　imagination；　a　star…and…garter　dawned　upon　the　dim　figure　of　the　man；　and　I　perceived　that　here　was　no　Costermonger　to　be　expelled　with　ignominy；　but　a　sublime　goddess…born　Ducal　Individual；　whom　I　forbear　to　name　at　this　moment！　　What　an　omen；nay　to　my　astonished　imagination；　there　dawned　still　fataler　omens。　　Surely；　of　all　human　trades　ever　heard　of；　the　trade　of　Owning　Land　in　England　ought　_not_　to　bully　us　for　drinkmoney　just　now！〃
  〃Hansard's　Debates；〃　continues　Crabbe　farther　on；　〃present　many　inconsistencies　of　speech；　lamentable　unveracities　uttered　in　Parliament；　by　one　and　indeed　by　all；　in　which　sad　list　Sir　Robert　Peel　stands　for　his　share　among　others。　　Unveracities　not　a　few　were　spoken　in　Parliament：　　in　fact；　to　one　with　a　sense　of　what　is　called　God's　truth；　it　seemed　all　one　unveracity；　a　talking　from　the　teeth　outward；　not　as　the　convictions　but　as　the　expediencies　and　inward　astucities　directed；　and；　in　the　sense　of　God's　_truth_；　I　have　heard　no　true　word　uttered　in　Parliament　at　all。　　Most　lamentable　unveracities　continually　_spoken_　in　Parliament；　by　almost　every　one　that　had　to　open　his　mouth　there。　　But　the　largest　veracity　ever　_done_　in　Parliament　in　our　time；　as　we　all　know；　was　of　this　man's　doing；and　that；　you　will　find；　is　a　very　considerable　item　in　the　calculation！〃
  Yes；　and　I　believe　England　in　her　dumb　way　remembers　that　too。　　And　〃the　Traitor　Peel〃　can　very　well　afford　to　let　innumerable　Ducal　Costermongers；　parliamentary　Adventurers；　and　lineal　representatives　of　the　Impenitent　Thief；　say　all　their　say　about　him；　and　do　all　their　do。　　With　a　virtual　England　at　his　back；　and　an　actual　eternal　sky　above　him；　there　is　not　much　in　the　total　net…amount　of　that。　　When　the　master　of　the　horse　rides　abroad；　many　dogs　in　the　village　bark；　but　he　pursues　his　journey　all　the　same。
  ＇May　1；　1850。＇　No。　V。　　STUMP…ORATOR。
  It　lies　deep　in　our　habits；　confirmed　by　all　manner　of　educational　and　other　arrangements　for　several　centuries　back；　to　consider　human　talent　as　best　of　all　evincing　itself　by　the　faculty　of　eloquent　speech。　　Our　earliest　schoolmasters　teach　us；　as　the　one　gift　of　culture　they　have；　the　art　of　spelling　and　pronouncing；　the　rules　of　correct　speech；　rhetorics；　logics　follow；　sublime　mysteries　of　grammar；　whereby　we　may　not　only　speak　but　write。　　And　onward　to　the　last　of　our　schoolmasters　in　the　highest　university；　it　is　still　intrinsically　grammar；　under　various　figures　grammar。　　To　speak　in　various　languages；　on　various　things；　but　on　all　of　them　to　speak；　and　appropriately　deliver　ourselves　by　tongue　or　pen；this　is　the　sublime　goal　towards　which　all　manner　of　beneficent　preceptors　and　learned　professors；　from　the　lowest　hornbook　upwards；　are　continually　urging　and　guiding　us。　　Preceptor　or　professor；　looking　over　his　miraculous　seedplot；　seminary　as　he　well　calls　it；　or　crop　of　young　human　souls；　watches　with　attentive　view　one　organ　of　his　delightful　little　seedlings　growing　to　be　men；the　tongue。　　He　hopes　we　shall　all　get　to　speak　yet；　if　it　please　Heaven。　〃Some　of　you　shall　be　book…writers；　eloquent　review…writers；　and　astonish　mankind；　my　young　friends：　　others　in　white　neckcloths　shall　do　sermons　by　Blair　and　Lindley　Murray；　nay　by　Jeremy　Taylor　and　judicious　Hooker；　and　be　priests　to　guide　men　heavenward　by　skilfully　brandished　handkerchief　and　the　torch　of　rhetoric。　　For　others　there　is　Parliament　and　the　election　beer…barrel；　and　a　course　that　leads　men　very　high　indeed；　these　shall　shake　the　senate…house；　the　Morning　Newspapers；　shake　the　very　spheres；　and　by　dexterous　wagging　of　the　tongue　disenthrall　mankind；　and　lead　our　afflicted　country　and　us　on　the　way　we　are　to　go。　　The　way　if　not　where　noble　deeds　are　done；　yet　where　noble　words　are　spoken；leading　us　if　not　to　the　real　Home　of　the　Gods；　at　least　to　something　which　shall　more　or　less　deceptively　resemble　it！〃
  So　fares　it　with　the　son　of　Adam；　in　these　bewildered　epochs；　so；　from　the　first　opening　of　his　eyes　in　this　world；　to　his　last　closing　of　them；　and　departure　hence。　　Speak；　speak；　oh　speak；if　thou　have　any　faculty；　speak　it；　or　thou　diest　and　it　is　no　faculty！　　So　in　universities；　and　all　manner　of　dames'　and　other　schools；　of　the　very　highest　class　as　of　the　very　lowest；　and　Society　at　large；　when　we　enter　there；　confirms　with　all　its　brilliant　review…articles；　successful　publications；　intellectual　tea…circles；　literary　gazettes；　parliamentary　eloquences；　the　grand　lesson　we　had。　　Other　lesson　in　fact　we　have　none；　in　these　times。　　If　there　be　a　human　talent；　let　it　get　into　the　tongue；　and　make　melody　with　that　organ。　The　talent　that　can　say　nothing　for　itself；　what　is　it？　　Nothing；　or　a　thing　that　can　do　mere　drudgeries；　and　at　best　make　money　by　railways。
  All　this　is　deep…rooted　in　our　habits；　in　our　social；　educational　and　other　arrangements；　and　all　this；　when　we　look　at　it　impartially；　is　astonishing。　Directly　in　the　teeth　of　all　this　it　may　be　asserted　that　speaking　is　by　no　means　the　chief　faculty　a　human　being　can　attain　to；　that　his　excellence　therein　is　by　no　means　the　best　test　of　his　general　human　excellence；　or　availability　in　this　world；　nay　that；　unless　we　look　well；　it　is　liable　to　become　the　very　worst　test　ever　devised　for　said　availability。　　The　matter　extends　very　far；　down　to　the　very　roots　of　the　world；　whither　the　British　reader　cannot　conveniently　follow　me　just　now；　but　I　will　venture　to　assert　the　three　following　things；　and　invite　him　to　consider　well　what　truth　he　can　gradually　find　in　them：
  First；　that　excellent　speech；　even　speech　_really_　excellent；　is　not；　and　never　was；　the　chief　test　of　human　faculty；　or　the　measure　of　a　ma